City map Sao Paulo

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São Paulo: The financial center that rocks

While entering Brazil’s biggest city from the outskirts takes you through a vast urban sprawl of ramshackle housing and ugly modern blocks, São Paulo has a decidedly stylish and sophisticated heart that pulsates with creativity. In the centre, superb museums and galleries are in generous supply, and nightlife is resoundingly cool, contemporary, and offers more

than enough diversions for even the most relentless of party animals. São Paulo is also home to some of the finest dining in Latin America. But if its urban delights get too exhausting, a short hop to the coast takes you to tranquil tropical beaches fringed by Atlantic rainforest.

Instituto Butantan

This fascinating centre is home to some of Brazil’s most venomous snakes, which are milked for the country’s leading vaccine laboratory. Other creepy characters on show include poisonous spiders and scorpions.

Catedral Metropolitana

Presiding over the city’s historic centre, São Paulo’s neo-Gothic cathedral was rebuilt in 1912 on the site of the original 16th-century building. The organ is thought to be the largest in South America.

Mosteiro de São Bento

Cherished by Paulistanos as their most beautiful church, this Byzantine-style monastery dates from the early 1600s. One of its most popular features is its Gregorian Chant, with lessons on Wednesdays from 2000-2130.

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Country information

Country overview

From the jungle calls of the Amazon to the curves of Copacabana’s thong-clad crowds, Brazil is a heady celebration of the big, the bold and the beautiful. Brazil’s vast coastline is fringed with sandy beaches and island getaways, while buzzing Rio de Janeiro and stylish Sao Paulo offer nightlife and culture galore – as well as an annual dose of Carnival fever. Whether it’s the big surf of Santa Catarina in the far south, or the sand

dunes of northern Natal, you could spend months hopping from one sun-baked beach to the next.

Hard as it may be to drag yourself away from the coast, this enormous country also offers many inland attractions. Not least the Amazon Basin, the lungs and freshwater supply for much of the subcontinent.

Geography

Brazil covers almost half of the South American continent and it is bordered to the north, west and south by all South American countries except Chile and Ecuador; to the east is the Atlantic ocean. The country is topographically relatively flat; at no point do the highlands exceed 3,000m (10,000ft). Over 60% of the country is a plateau; the remainder consists of plains. The River Plate Basin (the confluence of the Paraná and Uruguay rivers, both of which have their sources in Brazil) in the far south is more varied, higher and less heavily forested.

North of the Amazon are the Guiana Highlands, partly forested, partly stony desert.

The Brazilian Highlands of the interior, between the Amazon and the rivers of the south, form a vast tableland, the Mato Grosso, from which rise mountains in the southwest that form a steep protective barrier from the coast called the Great Escarpment, breached by deeply cut river beds. The population is concentrated in the southeastern states of Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. The city of São Paulo has a population of over 12 million, while over 7 million people live in the city of Rio de Janeiro.

General knowledge

Key facts

Population: 205.3 million

Population Density (per sq km): 24

Capital: Brasília.

Language

The official language is Portuguese, with different regional accents characterising each state. Spanish and English are also spoken, particularly in tourist areas. Four linguistic roots survive in the indigenous areas: Gê, Tupi-guarani, Aruak and Karib.

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Calendar of events

Carnaval

February 2018

Venue: Sambódromo

Okay, while it’s not exactly Rio, São Paulo’s celebrations beginning on the Friday before Ash Wednesday are a riot of samba school rehearsals, street parades and blocos (individually planned street parties). The Sambódromo, however, is the crème de la crème as it comes to life with samba schools battling for supremacy.

Virada Cultural

A 24-hour, non-stop celebration of city culture that showcases everything from dance and film to art and theatre. Organisers lean heavily on the musical side of things as well with over 2,000 artists performing across the whole day and night. Taking its cue from the inversion of expectations, the event will have museums opening from dawn and plenty of the unexpected in the downtown area of São Paulo.

São Vito Festival

June – July 2018

Venue: Rua Fernades Silva, Brás

Running for nearly two months each year, the São Vito Festival is a dedicated Italian community celebration based around St Vito, the patron saint of Polignano a Mare who hails from Puglia, Italy. Street parties, feasts of traditional food and lively processions make up this very Italian occasion, which is celebrated by São Paulo’s emphatic wave of Italian immigrants.

Parada do Orgulho GLBT

The annual Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) parade is the world’s largest, attracting around four million people. Expect riotously colourful processions of floats and street dancing in a parade that stretches for 4.2km (2.6 miles), right through Avenida Paulista.

São Paulo Fashion Week

With street credit from the stellar success of supermodels like Giselle Bündchen, São Paulo Fashion Week is now regarded as the fifth fashion week after New York, Paris, Milan and London. Lashings of haute couture and exotic models tread catwalks during this biannual jolly. Exciting new Brazilian designers air their frocks twice yearly with separate fashion weeks.

São Paulo Art Biennial

Inspired by the Venice Biennale art festival, the São Paulo Art Biennial takes place every two years between September and December. Running since the early 1950s, the event allows Brazilian and international artists to display their works in the Oscar Niemeyer building in the Parque Ibirapuera.

Mostra Internacional de Cinema

Stock up on popcorn because silver screen fever grips during this two-week celluloid fest. Premieres, retrospectives, foreign-language films, blockbusters and outdoors screenings, complete a dazzling cast at the annual Mostra Internacional de Cinema, which will show around 350 titles in 20 different venues.

Brazilian F1 Grand Prix

Prepare for high octane thrills and spills as the Formula 1 circus wends its way to São Paulo for the annual grand prix. Two days of qualifying kicks off the weekend before the main event at the famed Interlagos racetrack, a course renowned for being one of the most difficult to master on the F1 circuit.

All information subject to change. Please check the dates on the relevant event organizer’s website.

7 days forecast

Climate & best time to visit Brazil

Brazil is something of an all-year round destination, as the country sits within the tropics, meaning temperatures rarely dip below 20°C (68°F), apart from in the southern regions. The climate varies from hot and dry in the arid interior to humid and sticky in the tropical rainforests of the Amazon jungle. The Pantanal and Amazon areas in the north of the country tend to get very hot during the summer, reaching highs of around 40°C (104°F).

Coastal Brazil tends to be hot and sticky for most of the year; the best time to visit is generally from March to November during the dry season. It can get cold in the south and in the mountains during the winter months, with temperatures sometimes hitting 0°C (32°F) during winter. Rainy seasons occur from January to April in the north, April to July in the northeast and November to March in the Rio/São Paulo area.

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Phone calls & Internet

Telephone/Mobile Telephone

Dialing Code: +55

Telephone

Public telephones accept cartões telefônicos (telephone cards), which can be obtained from newspaper kiosks. International calls from Brazil are expensive and in most cases it will be cheaper to use VoIP services such as Skype for outbound international calls.

Mobile Telephone

Mobile coverage is generally very good. Coveragge is provided with a number of mobile phone carriers including Oi, Vivo, Claro, Tim, CTBC, Sercomtel and Nextel. Roaming agreements exist with most international mobile phone companies, but travellers should check with their service providers. An unlocked GSM tri- or quad-band cell phone works in Brazil, with SIM cards widely available. Sim cards can be bought at newsstands, shopping malls and a variety of other outlets. Minutes can be added via cartões pre-pago (prepaid cards), available at newspaper kiosks.

Internet

Many hotels provide guests with internet access using Wi-Fi, although this may be added to the bill at the end of your stay. Internet cafés can be found in main towns and cities, and there are often internet booths at airports. In smaller towns, public access is sometimes available at post offices.

During the World Cup free Wi-Fi will be available in airports related to the event. 4G should be available in the host cities.

Flight and accommodation

Shopping in São Paulo

Key Areas

Paulistanos are a well-dressed breed, and the city has many upscale fashion boutiques to cater for their needs. Between Luz and São Bento is the biggest concentration of shops; for trendier designer stores, try leafier residential neighbourhoods such as Jardins, Vila Madalena and Pinheiros.

Markets

Art deco Mercado Municipal is a heaving retail hub, with everything imaginable on sale. Japanese district Liberdade has a wonderful Sunday market specialising in food and produce from all over Asia. On Saturday, head to the flea market on Praça Benedito Calixto, in arty Vila Madalena.

Shopping Centres

Rua 25 de Março is a sprawling city-centre complex, selling mass-produced bric-a-brac. For shopping malls, JK Iguatemi, on Avenida Magalhaes de Castro is one of the smartest, while on Avenida Dr. Chucri Zaidan, Morumbi Market Place has a good range of amenities, including a food hall and a gym.

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Traveller etiquette

Social Conventions

In informal situations, it is common to kiss women on both cheeks when meeting and taking one’s leave, whilst handshaking is customary between men. Frequent offers of coffee and tea are customary when visiting a host; if invited to someone’s home bring a gift. Flowers either before or after your visit will be appreciated, as will small gifts from your country or origin.

Time-keeping is loose and fast in Brazil, so whilst punctuality may be expected from visitors, don’t expect it in return – arriving 30 minutes later than scheduled is quite normal and acceptable.

In terms of what to wear, casual wear is normal, particularly during hot weather. Brazilians are known for their love of skimpy beachwear (thong bikinis for women and Speedos for men are the norm) but going shirtless anywhere besides the beach is generally frowned upon.

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Health

Main emergency number: 192

Food & Drink

Water should not be drunk unless boiled or sterilised first. Even filtered water in more remote areas should be avoided and bottled water should be drunk instead. Pasteurised milk and cheese is available in towns and is generally considered safe to consume. Milk outside of urban areas is unpasteurised and should be boiled; travellers should also be wary of products that could have been made with unpasteurised milk, such as ice cream.

Other Risks

A polio vaccination certificate is required for children aged between three months and seven years old. Bilharzia (schistosomiasis) is present within Brazil, as are several other infectious diseases such as dengue fever (which is more prevalent after rain in densely populated areas). There have also been cases of meningococcal meningitis in and around the Bahia area. Rabies is present; if you are bitten, seek medical advice without delay. If visiting remote parts of the Amazon or more rural villages, be sure to take the usual precautions, stocking up on mosquito repellent, sunscreen lotion and wearing suitable clothing.

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Visa & Immigration

IATA Travel Centre

The IATA Travel Centre delivers accurate passport, visa and health requirement information at a glance. It is a trusted, centralized source for the latest international travel requirements. The IATA Travel Centre is the most accurate source available because it is based on a comprehensive database used by virtually every airline, and information is gathered from official sources worldwide, such as immigration and police authorities.

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